Hydrocarbon generator and burner.



W. F. CATHCART.

HYDROCARBON GENERATOR AND BURNER.

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W. F. CATHCART.

HYDROCARBON GENERATOR AND BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1B. I9I5.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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W. F. CMHCART,

HYDROCARBN GENERATOR AND BURNER.

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HYDROCARBON GENERATOR AND BURNER.

APPUCATION FILED FEB.18|1915 4 Patented Jan. 2, 1917 l a E HYDROCARBONGENERATOR AND BURNER.

erator and burner whereby the highest eii' ciency may be effected in theconversion of a liquid fuel into a highly combustible fluid, vapor orgas, subsequently to be consumed or converted into heat at the burner ofthe device.

Another object of my invention is to generally improve devices of thischaracter to enhance their efficiency and to cheapen their'construction.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparentto persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the followingdescription when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein Figure 1is a plan view of an organization showing my invention; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail of an automatic fuel controlling device or shut oif. Fig. 4 is asection taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. F ig. 5 is a section taken on line5 5 of Fig. Il. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7is a section taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a section taken online 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 1.Fig. 10 is an end view of a regulable cold air admission register. Fig.11 1s a plan view of means for inserting a suitable detergent into thegenerator and burner to purge it of accumulations or deposits that mayresult from distillation of the liquid fuel.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed toindicatesimilar parts.

1 will now describe a typical embodiment of my invention so that personsversed in the art may know how to make and use the same.

The liqued fuel, to bc. used in connection with my generator-burner isto be contained in a pressure tank 12, pumped thereinto by means of asuitable pump 13, and a supply Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application led February 18, 1915. Serial No. 9,013.

pipe 14:, and taken therefrom by the pipe 15, shown in dotted linesdescending to a point near the bottom of the tank. After Sullicent oil,or other liquid fuel has been pumped into the tank 12, connection fromthe nipple 16 of the pump 13 to the oil supply may be broken and air maybe pumped upon the top of the oil in the tank 12, until the desiredpressure within the tank is registered upon the pressure gage 17. Valves18 and 19 control the contents of the tank. A pipe 20 leads from thevalve 18 through a check-valve connection 21, t0 be'hereinafter morefully explained, through a controller or automatic cut off 22 into avalve structure 23. This needle valve structure 23,

is more clearly shown in'F ig. 8. The fuel liquid comes through the pipe20 into the chamber 24, which is controlled by the needle 25 of thevalve, adapted to be turned by means of the knurled head 26, so as toopen and control the valve to admit the liquid into the strainer 27. Thestrainer consts of a tube having a screen 28 and 29 at its respectiveends and filled between these foraminous disks with a material such asasbestos wool 30, or the like, the object being by the use of thisdevice, to cleanse the liquid of any mechanical obstructions that it maycontain before admitting it into the generator pipe 31. From thestrainer 27 the liquid fuel passes through the pipe 31, which is foldedupon itself, andshown in dotted lines, as at 31, and out from the pipe31 into the needle valve structure 32, and is controlled by the needlevalve 33 operable by the knurled head 34. At the base of the point 35 ofthe needle valve proper is a shoulder 36, which is adapted to be seatedupon a shoulder 37 of the port 38. This permits seating of the valve andclosing it tightly without the necessity of imposing unnecessarypressure or tension upon the point 35 and the walls surrounding the port38.

The casing 33', within which the pipe 31 is contained, is more clearlyshown in Figs. 5 and 6 wherein 34 is a boX of suitable material, such assheet metal, containing a burner pipe 35 and a top or cover 36, spacedapart from the body part of the box, as at 37', and held in spacedrelation by the braces 38 38. To hold the heat within the casing and toprotect the cover 36 from excessive heat generated by the burner 35 Iprefer to line the cover with a sheet of asbestos or other similarinsulating material 39. The ejecting orifices of the burner arecontained in a horizontal plane and substantially midway between thebody portion 34 and the cover 36 of the casing, so that asuficient'amount of air is admitted to the burner, through the spacebetween the body part 34 and the cover 36', to support combustion. rIhelining 39 and the cup shape of the cover 36 form a canopy which servesto hold the heat in close relation with the generating pipe 31. Theburner 35 is held in place in the body part 34 of the casing, by meansof bands 40-40 that surround the tube of the burner and are connected tothe body portion 34 of the box as by rivets 41. By this means a largesurface of the generating pipe 31 is directly exposed to the ame thatissues from the burner 35. The liquid that is permitted to pass throughthe strainer 27 is converted into a vapor or gas, in the pipe 31 andgiven considerable velocity by the effect of the heat from the burner35', which gas passes from the plpe 31 into and through a needle valve32 and is expanded into a mixing chamber 42, consisting of a T 43 inwhich is screwed a reducing plug 44 and into which plug 1s screwed aprotectingpipe or tube 45, and into the latter is placed a vapor tube46, terminating, as at 47, near the needle valve point 35 and port 38.The other end of the tube 45 enters an expansion fitting 49, the

' vapor tube passing well into this fitting and terminating as at 50.The vapor tube is provided with a series of notches or slots 51 whichterminate some distance from the end 52 of the tube 45, for a reason tobe more fully hereinafter explained.

A reducer fitting 54 is screwed into the vertical end of the T 43, andinto the reducer plug 54 is screwed a pipe 55 which is doubled uponitself, by parts consisting of the elbow 56, the section 57, the halfcircle fitting, or double elbow 58, and the pipe section 59 which latterpipe extends forwardly and terminates in an enlarged screened cap 60,provided with an air screen 61. The pipes 57 and 59 are extended backinto the region of the burner or a zone heated thereby so as to heat theair that comes in through the pipe 59, the fitting 58, the pipe 57, theelbow 56 and pipe 55 and through the mixing chamber 42. Hot air willAcome through this system of fittings and pipes into the mixing chamber42 and will mix with the gas or vapor coming through the needle valve 32and will be driven into the vapor tube 46 and then into the secondarymixing chamber62 provided by the enlarged pipe 63. An elbow 64 isscrewed into the other vertical end of the T 43 and into this elbow isscrewed a short section of pipe 65 which terminates in an enlarged cap66, having a regulable register 67 in its open end. The register 67 isprovided with a handle 68 whereby to vary the size of the openings69--69 to admit a greater or less quantity of cold air into the pipe 65,and from thence into the mixing chamber 42. Thus it will be seen thathot air will enter through the pipe l55 into the mixing chamber 42 and aregulable quantity of Arelatively cold air will pass through the pipe65, the elbow 64, into said chamber, thereby providing means forregulating the quantity of air to be mixed with the vapor or gases to bepassed into the vapor tube 46 and into the secondary mixing chamber 62.The gas and air will pass through the vapor tube 46 with considerablerapidity and will be mixed to some extent in said tube, but they willpass out of the end of the tube, as at 50, thereby producing more orless of a back current or whirl between the slotted end section of tube46 and the walls of the expander 49, as at 70, thereby causing some ofthe air and mixed vapor to pass inwardly through the slots and beentrained with the vapor flowing through tube 46, assisting in effectingthe desired mixture of air and fuel. Of course the slots or openings 51are not entirely essential to the operation of my generator and burner,but'they do, to a greater or less extent, produce a whirling of the airand vapor thereby causing a better and more thorough admixture of thesegases. I may provide an additional mechanical means for assisting inmixing the air and vapor, in the chamber 62, consisting of a spinner 71mounted on a stud 72 fixed to a cross bracket 73 that is secured in thetube 63.. The side wings 74 and 75 of the spinner, are oblique so thatthe impingement thereon of the gases and air, coming through the tube46, striking the oblique 105 sides of the spinner as they are projectedinto the secondary mixing chamber 62, causes a violent rotation of thespinner and mechanical agitation of the fuel mixture. Theadmixed fuel inthe mixing chamber 62 11o passes from the tube affording the walls forsaid chamber, 63, into the semi-circular tting 76, and from thence intoa burner 77. The flame-issuing from the burner 77, while capable ofutilization as a part of the gen- 115 eral heating capacity of theburner device, also, being placed immediately below the secondary mixingchamber casing 63, heats the gases contained in said mixing chamber andthereby causes more thorough admix- 120 ture of the air and gasestherein contained. Other burners, and any desired number thereof may besupplied from the mixing chamber 62, as for instance I have shown afitting 78 connected to the end ofthe burner 125.

ducer 85 may be screwed into the end of the T 80 and into the reducer asmaller pipe 8G may be taken to supply the burners 87 and 88 and thuseven a larger number of burners, than those shown, may be employed andconnected in the same manner with the miX- ing chamber of the generator.y

In order to provide for shutting off the gas or liquid fuel from thedevice in the event that the burners should accidentally becomeextinguished, or cease to burn, I provide an expansible rod, or wire 89,and pass it back -over the burner, into the hot region produced therebyand secure it to a support 90 which is attached to some fixed part, suchas 91, of the device. I bring the wire forward and fix it to the end, asat 92, of a slidable rod 93, which is supported in bearings 94 and 95. Aspring 96 serves to hold the expansible rod 89 under tension and tendsto pull it in a direction away from the support 90. The rod 93 isprovvided with a notch 97 near its front end.

Pivoted in the shut-ofi device 22 is a valve 98. typically illustratedas a butteriiy valve and shown to be open in Fig. 3. Secured to a stem99, which passes through the fitting 22, is an arm 100 carrying aforwardly projecting stud 101 on its free end, which is adapted to litin the slot 97 of the rod 93. In F ig. 3 the valve is shown open. In Fig. 2 the valve is shown closed, which is its normal position when thedevice is not in operation.

The use and operation of the device is as follows z-The rod 93 is liftedso that the notch 97 clears the pin 101 and the arm 100 of the valve 98is moved to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby opening the valve andpermitting liquid fuel to pass from the reservoir 12 through the pipe 20into the needle valve structure 23 and from thence into the strainer 27and into the pipe 31. Prior to this timehowever. a small amount ofliquid fuel such as alcohol or the like, has been placed Iin the pan orbox 34', of the casing shown in Fig. 5, and ignited, thereby to heat theliquid fuel that is then passing in the pipe 31 and to convert it into agas preliminarily to the complete operation of the device. After' thegas is formed in the generator pipe 31 the burner 35 will supply thegas-generating heat and the device will operate as heretofore described.After the burners have been lighted and the device is properlyoperating, the expansible bar 89 will become expanded and thc spring 90will pull the bar 89 and the rod 93 forwardly until the notch 97 dropsover the pin 101 of the valve lever 100. Should the burners becomeextinguished for any cause other than shutting off the liquid fuel, thenthe expansible bar 89 will immediately contract and move the bar 93against the resilient effect of the spring 96 and since the notch 97 isnow overlying the stud 101 of the lever 100 the contracting effect ofthe rod 89 will pull'the arm 100 back into dotted line position shown inFig. 3, thereby closing the valve. So long, however, as the burner issupplying sulicient heat to maintain the expansible rod 89 suilicientlyexpanded the -valve 98 will remain open. Should yit be desired to closeor to extinguish the burner at any time the rod 93 may he li'lted'sothat the notch 97 is Clear of the stud .101 and the arm 100 may he movedback to dotted line position to close the valve 98 when in course oftime the contraction of the heat responsive wire or rod 89 will again 80bring the notch 97 in register' with the stud 101 and the notch 97 willthen permit the bar to drop over the stud 101 and hold the device withthe valve 98 closed, so that it cannot be accidentally opened byinadvertence or mistake.

Should, at any time the device become partly filled or clogged withdeposits of carbon or the like, a detergent having the proper purging orsolvent qualities may be admitted into the pipe 20, as by the checkvalvefitting 21, by inserting a pipe 108 in the check-valve portion 104 ofthe fitting 21 and by compressing the bulb 105 so as to create apressure within the detergent receptacle 106. The receptacle 106 maycontain materials such as alcohol and otash or the like, which have thepurgingv e ect upon the deposits that usually accumulate within burnersof this character. Other means 100 than that shown in Fig. 11 may beemployed for this purpose, if desired, and other forms of shut offsembodying the features of my invention may be used and other changes inform and disposition of the many parts within the scope of the appendedclaims may be made when desirable.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of thecharacter described, 11o the combination of a casing comprising abox-like container having the box and cover fixed and spaced apart toprovide a liquid container and a canopy; a generator tube, bent uponitself and contained within said canopy; a burner within said box in aplane parallel with the general direction of the tube; a mixing chambercommunicating with said generator tube, from which said burner issupplied, and a warm air conduit and a regulable relatively cold airconduit communicating with said mixing chamber.

9.. In combination, a mixing chamber, a fuel nozzle projecting into thechamber, a vapor tube in alinement with the nozzle and extendingoutwardly from said chamber, an air inlet tube communicating with saidchamber, a secondary mixing chamber connected with the outer end of thevapor tube,

a fuel supply pipe connected with the nozzle,

a burner for heating the fuel supply pipe, and an independent burner forheating the secondary mixing chamber.

3. In combination, a mixing chamber, a fuel nozzle projecting into thechamber, a vapor tube in alinement with the nozzle and extendingoutwardly from said chamber, two air inlet tubes communicating with thesaid chamber on opposite sides thereof, n secondary mixing chamberconnected with the outer end of said vapor tube, a fuel supply pipeconnected with the nozzle, u burner for heating the fuel supply pipe, anindependent burner for heating the secondary mixing chamber, :Lregulable Valve for the free end of one of the air tubes, the other ofsaid air tubes intermediate its ends extending linto close tionedburner. 1

In testimony whereof I hereunto set myy hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witmesses.

WILLIAM F. CATHCART. In the presence of-A STANLnY W. C0011, MARY F.ALLEN.

proximity to the last men-

